Just wondering how many people use a ground anchor? I do, think it was a worthy investment…. How secure do you think they are against a theiving git? this I am not sure about!

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/3038315/

Yep, do it. A good ground anchor, properly installed is worth far more than an alarm or anything like that.
You’ll have to spend £100+ for something worthwile though….

the link shows mine, I spent about £25 on the anchor and £50 on the chain, i will add another chain to the wall soon! hope it is up to the job!

Obviously far better than not being anchored to anything. I’ve got one from the Almax people, seems ok. Maybe you could get through with an angle grinder, but you’d hope the noise would wake the neighbours.

i thought they were supposed to have a top cover, so you couldnt undo the bolts on the anchor?

I use one from B&Q. Cost me about £20. I know it’s already paid for itself as the garage got broken into and the bikes were left. I found chainrings, grease and various tools down the side of the garage, otherwise I wouldn’t have known the blighters had visited (they were kind enough to close the door behind them!).

They came back a few months later though when I’d removed the chain to go to the pub with it, and did away with two bikes 🙁

The floor anchor came with two ball bearings to hammer into the tops of the bolts – this stops anyone unscrewing them – they’re there for ever!

The problem with ground anchors is illustrated by the picture from Spankmonkey – what exactly do you chain up. In that picture, it would be a relatively easy job to unbolt the frame at it’s lower (BB) pivot and slip the chain off. Seriously it’s a five minute job. Putting the chain through the rear wheel would secure the wheel and the sub-assembly that drives the shock, but ultimately you’re still going to loose a lot of precious kit. Single pivots are a little less vulnerable as you can pass the chain through the wheel and around the main traingle, thereby securing both those items, but the forks are still vulnerable. To make a bike truly secure, you need to chain the front wheel to the forks, the forks to the main frame, the main frame to the rear wheel and the rear wheel to the rear triangle, assuming that you can do that. Then you need one more chain to go through any of the previous chains that ground anchor.
Probably better to ensure they are stored in a concrete bunker.

Strategically positioned Claymores is the way forward!

think I will just get another chain to go through the front end as well! they would have to undo 3 pivot bolts on the demo and that is not an easy task !

It’s all just about deterring thieving ****ts. If they really want it, they’re going to have it, even if you go down the claymore route.

Last winter, Gardeners’ Question Time on Radio 4 (laugh it up) devoted a whole prog to the issue of ‘defensive planting’. Definitely the way forward – just plant loads of spiky, stingy, thorny plants growing up possible ingress points to your garden and the thieves will move on to an easier target.

? So a prickly bush wins against my Claymore?

That’s one hell of a bush!

After my bike and gf bike were stolen from our cellar i installed an anchor on the wall using 10mm anchor bolts and anchor bolt resin. The resin is a must as it prevents the bolts from being yanked out of the wall. I still worry though and i check all the locks everyday.

I know it’s the wrong answer, but I have a modestly priced ground anchor, a big chain, moderately cheap bikes and try not to worry too much.

😉

The only thing you can do is deter a moderately compotent thief. A professional will get it if they want. You can hacksaw through a frame in less than 30 seconds so that is the weak point and how much are your components worth?
I suggest serious locks on good bikes with a bike there that is relatively easy to steal so they will steal your sacrificial bike (mine a Claude Butler – everyone knows the name but worth less than £100)and leave the good ones. Good insurance is also a must but io use a ground anchor a large chain a new york d locka nd 4 other locks. It takes me 10 minutes to get at my bikes so a thief with tools would take about 20 minutes and have to make a lot of noise (power tools required)
Sadly if they want it they will get it whatever you do.

Those B&Q masterlock ones look the same as the garage defender that they also sell. If so, it can be cut with bolt croppers.

I reckon a crowbar and bottle jack would have one of those off in a few minutes.

I use a Torc anchor:

and 16mm chain:

… round the expensive stuff. Drilled/Resined into thick concrete. Sold secure gold closed shackle lock. Very heavy and very expensive, but still vunerable to angle grinders. They’d have to make a fair bit of racket doing it mind.

… and a cheaper oxford sold silver anchor affixed/resined into the brick garage wall with a 12mm chain and sold secure silver alarmed open shackle lock for the cheaper bikes.

My commuter hack is the tempter bike.

Up and over door is side bolted and braced, so it can’t be forced, and alarmed. But then I live in Bristol. They’d still have them if they really wanted them.

I use Rotalok cement in ground anchor:

For a motorbike!

anotherdeadhero – can you get the 16mm chain though spokes on a wheel? Its the combo I’m looking at as I’m revamping security on the garage.

Do you need special plugs for the anchor if it’s using resin? Do you have to bolt on the anchor before the resin sets?

If I owned a garage I’d seriously consider building a cage (ie, a prison!)in the shed to secure the 7 bikes my wife and I own, rather than trying to lock every single one. Otherwise I think I’d need about 4 anchors and 8 chains to lock them all up in any practical way that meant I could retrieve the bike I wanted easily…

Insurance.

anotherdeadhero – can you get the 16mm chain though spokes on a wheel? Its the combo I’m looking at as I’m revamping security on the garage.

Do you need special plugs for the anchor if it’s using resin? Do you have to bolt on the anchor before the resin sets?

Yes, just. You have to feed it through carefully on my 36h road and 32h MTB wheels. Best if you align wheel to pass through parallel spokes, more room. It is very heavy, you have to be careful not to drop it on a frame, or you’ll get a nice big dent.

The Torc stuff comes with everything you need to install, incl resin capsules, masonry bit etc. It really is top quality.

You have to leave the anchor in situ, unmolested for 24 hours for the resin to set.

I have 2 ground anchors in my garage, they are plant lifting shackles, I dug out holes in the cocrete garage floor and set them in a resin available from building suppliers.
The weakest link are the chains, although I do use motorbike thatchem aproved locks £120+ as has been said if a proffesional theif wants them, you have lost them.
I also leave a “bait” bike unlocked. Another tip is not to leave any tools lying around that could be used to force locks.
All this I learnt from experience, after having a motorbike stolen, and a failed attemt at my mountain bikes.

I strongly recommend anything Torq / Pragmasis sells. Steve (the owner of the business) is a great guy and is very serious about the quality of his kit. I know him through motorbiking and he’s spent a lot of time designing and sourcing some of the best kit you can get.

Recommended to the house!

smurf